Ladder safety step



Nov. 22, 1949 o. A. LINDER ET AL LADDER SAFETY STEP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 10, 1946 M 6, H m 0 w, W 0 M r j J p 5 V W f ,fimwu m m mm. W w w 8 filwnl lw p: 0m 2 w w I m Nov. 22, 1949 o. A. LINDER ET AL LADDER SAFETY STEP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1946 Patented Nov. 22, 1949 sq. in

UNITED STATES OFFICE Otto A. Linder and Edward J. Klause, Philadelphia; Pa.

Application December 10, 194s,.seria1i\io.v15,22s

1 Claim. (01. 30,4 .31j'5'),

This invention relates to safetyssteps for ladders.

An Object of the invention is to provide an auxiliaryv step which may be installed upon, a ladder to provide a securefooting for a workman thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety step for a ladder which has means for engagement with a rung of the ladder and with its side rails, with means for adjustment to fit a ladder which is inclined at any angle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety step for a. ladder which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is safe to use, permitting the workman to stand on the ladder withoutholding on with hishands.

Other objects and advantages of the-invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying 'drawings, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a ladder with our improved-safety step installed thereon.

Figure 2 is a top plan .view of the safety. step shown in Figure l, the ladder being sectionedlas shown.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational View of the device aSiseen on plane 3'- 3 of Figure 2. I

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the step plates employed in the device.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the step plate of Figure 4, but turned upside down and around in order to show its under surface and the rungengaging U-clip.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the lock nuts employed in the device.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the side bracket members designed for engaging the ladder side rails.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another of the side bracket members for engaging the ladder side rails.

In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention and the best means for carrying it out, reference may now be had to the drawings in which like reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views. As shown, there is a ladder ill having left and right side rails I2 and M which are interconnected by spaced rungs l6.

To form a step surface on the ladder, we provide a pair of complementary step plates l8 and 20. The step plates have fiat Web portions 22 and 24, respectively, which in each step plate interconnect inturned marginal flanges 26 and 28, the web 2 portions being, .upturnedat one end to form-:an end-wall. or ,flange .30. which maybe substantially triangular-in shape, asseen in FiguresA and .5, orsome othersuitable shape, as desired. The end walls 30 areprovided-with.apertures32.

The width of the right l'land web; 24. is slightly less than-thatof the leftehand web 22 in-order to. permit the right hand web and its attached flanges 26 land 28 to be received slidably within the channel: formed bythe-lefthand web 24 and its dependingflanges26 and 28, theioverall length of. the combined left and :right step plates being adjustable in this manner. ,Thestep plates are also provided with-dependingau -clips '34,-the web portion of which is secured :to:,the-:under-side: of the, step plate webs by weldingor, other suitable means;.-the clips 34 being-intended-forresiiiently and securely embracing-theladder rung 16 in the-manner-shownin:Figures l-and 3. It will'be noted thatthe r-ung: clips 34 are disposed oiT-center on thestep plate: webs, as shown in Figures :3 andt5.

There are also side ibrackets generally indicated at 36, there being one side bracket foreach side rail of the ladder. Each side bracket is Jformed of ancinner eandan outer side bracket member shownwat 38 and 4-0,:respectively. iEach outer sidebracket 40 has aladder rail-engaging plate 4 2- integral with aweb channel #44" perpendicular theretm; the -latterwchannel :haaving .inturned flanges 46 along its edges, as shown in Figure 8. There is also an elongated slot 48 formed in the web channel 44.

Each inner side bracket 38 has a ladder railengaging plate 50 integral with a web portion or tongue 52 perpendicular thereto, the tongue having an elongated slot 54. The tongue 52 is receivable slidably in the web channel 44 when the side brackets are assembled.

Before installation upon a ladder, each ladder rail bracket is assembled to one of the step plates, the inner and outer side bracket members 38 and 40 being engaged with the tongue 52 received in the channel 44, a bolt 56 being inserted through the superposed apertures 48 and 54 and also through the aperture 32 in the end wall 30 of the step plates. A nut 58 is threaded onto the shank of the bolt 56 to secure the parts together. The nut 58 has a rod 60 secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by threading into a recess in the nut, as shown in Figure 6, the rod serving to provide leverage for tightening the nut when needed. The nuts 58 are counterbored, as at 62, to receive lock washers. For convenience, the left and right hand nuts and bolts may be rung IS in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The side brackets are then opened outwardly and the step plates are moved in opposite directions so that the side brackets engage the ladder rails l2 and M. The inner and outer side bracket members 38 and 40 are then moved toward each other sufficiently to securely engage their plates 42 and 50, respectively, against the surfaces 64 and 66, respectively, of the ladder rails, as seen in Figure 3, and then the nuts 58 are tightened.

The safety step is now ready for use, it being noted that the side brackets have been adjusted for the angle of the ladder rails with the vertical, while the step plate webs remain substantially horizontal, as shown in Figure 3. It is not necessary to readjust the side brackets or unlock the lock nuts in changing the safety step from one rung to another after the proper angle of the safety step has once been set. It is only necessary to slide the step plates together and lift the device, disengaging the U -clips from the rung, and then it may be placed on another rung in the manner described by merely pressing down to engage the U-clips on the rung and spreading the step plates apart.

In the use of the safety step, it is possible to remain on the ladder with safety and comfort and work with both hands free.

Although we have described a preferred embodiment of our invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

A safety step for attachment to a ladder having side rails and rungs interconnecting the side rails, said step comprising a pair of complementary step plates longitudinally slidable one within the other to vary the length of said step, an

upstanding end wall at the outer end of each step plate, each end wall having a bolt-receiving aperture near the end thereof remote from the corresponding step plate, respective spring clips secured to said step plates and extending downwardly therefrom to embrace a ladder rung below said step, and respective bracket assemblies adapted to secure said step plate end walls to adjacent ladder side rails for pivotal adjustment of said step plates about the axis of a connection between said spring clips and a ladder rung to provide for adjustment of said step plates to a substantially horizontal condition regardless of the angle of inclination of a step supporting ladder, each said bracket assembly comprising an inner bracket member having a rail-engaging plate and a tongue perpendicular to said plate, said tongue having an elongated slot therein, an outer bracket member having a rail-engaging plate and a web-channel perpendicular to said plate, said web-channel having an elongated slot therein and slidably receiving said tongue, a bolt extending through the aperture in the corresponding end wall and through the slots in said inner and outer bracket members, and a nut threaded onto said bolt to releasably clamp said end wall and bracket members in adjusted position with said rail-engaging plates disposed one at each side of a ladder side rail and the corresponding step plate in substantially horizontal position.

OTTO A. LINDER. EDWARD J. KLAUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'EN IS Number Name Date 310,218 Norton Jan. 6, 1885 1,285,817 Sklar Nov. 26, 1918 2,103,603 Voigt Dec. 28, 1937 2,182,475 Herline Dec. 5, 1939 2,318,493 Johnson May 4, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 29,775 Australia Oct. 24, 1930 

